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I think most beginners rely way too much on coal instead of learning coke first
I spent my first 6 months fighting with clinkers and uneven heat before a guy in Ohio told me to switch to coke, and suddenly my welds actually held, so has anyone else found coal messes up more projects than it helps at the start?
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corah752mo ago
Respectfully disagree with you there. Coal can be tricky but it teaches you a lot about fire management and air flow that you just don't get with coke. If beginners learn to work with good bituminous coal first, they end up being better welders in the long run.
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hannahcraig2mo ago
Back in 2018 I watched a guy at the New England Blacksmiths conference use a coal fire to forge weld a 3/8 inch chain link that blew up on him with coke the week before. He said the sulfur in the wrong coal can actually help you spot bad heat because it makes the scale flake off different. Most people just talk about heat control but nobody mentions how certain regional coals from places like West Virginia have that natural flux property that saves you from having to borax everything. You lose that whole layer of troubleshooting when you skip straight to coke.
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